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“When you buy from a small business, you are not helping a CEO buy a third vacation home. You are helping a little girl get dance lessons, a little boy get his team jersey, a mom put food on the table, a dad pay a mortgage or a student pay for college.”

I have a lot of love for small business in New Jersey. Each business owner I have had the pleasure to meet or work with have been so inspirational. They are so open to collaborating, learn new technologies and come together to benefit their local communities – not just their personal business. Today, I want to introduce you all to some of my dear colleagues and friends who are small business owners. Please consider your small businesses for your holiday shopping. Because YOU are the reason our small business are able to thrive.

I have had the honor and privilege to work with Stitch Boutique. Caitlin has a create passion for fashion. Every single piece she adds to the boutique is picked with love and care. From silky textures to elegant tweeds, Caitlyn knows her stuff!

If you are a fan of Francesca’s, you will love Valley Girl. Elaine always has fun, whimsical pieces as well as trendy pieces. The store offers west coast style at reasonable prices. Be sure to stop by and tell the girls that Cristina from Timeless Optimist sent you 😉

If you had a sweet tooth, Sweet Home Montclair is going to be your new favorite place. Every event that I have had the privilege to attend in Montclair this year has featured a fun, colorful candy bar. A great idea for your next holiday party or work event don’t you think?

Nothing beats homemade ice cream right? South The aesthetic has a vintage feel to it which gives the place its charm. They also bake all of their sweets on the premises. The creamy is within walking distance of MPAC in case you want to visit the creamy before or after a show.

I love a charming coffee spot that also offers great food. Cloveberry offers organic food with gluten-free options for their wraps and sandwiches. My favorite coffee to get is their salted caramel latte (I always get mine with almond milk).

By far, my favorite place for Chinese food! The food tastes amazing and I love the portions. They are not too massive and you feel fully satisfied by the end of the meal. Not to mention that Cottage II is also very reasonable with their prices!

Think Bath and Body works with a more elegant twist. Karalynne is the owner of this fabulous store sporting skin care brands like Kiehl’s. If you want a customized gift, you can purchase on of their self-care collections!

Depasquale is one of the biggest spas on the country! Nonetheless, you can expect personalized attention at ever visit. They have coffee bar so you can enjoy a cappuccino while you wait for your appointment.

For the rest of the year, I am going tube featuring a small business every Saturday. If you have a small business that you would like me to feature, feel free to let me know in the comments below.

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It’s never easy to say goodbye to summer. Nonetheless, we have to make the most of season changes right? One thing I do love about fall is all the layers that get added to our fall outfits. In fact, I don’t know what I would do without my scarfs and ponchos. So today I am going to explain why scarfs and ponchos are must have accessories for fall and why you need to make sure these amazing accessories are a part of your wardrobe.

They add extra texture to your look

Animal prints are always great to wear in the fall. In fact, I have a guide as to how rock animal prints here. You see how my leopard print scarf adds personality to my look? Not only is this scarf charming but it’s also super warm.

They are easy to layer with

I love that ponchos and scarfs are easy to add to almost any outfit. Take this look for example. A simple turtleneck and business pants look even more festive with my windowpane cape scarf. It can be worn as a poncho (as seen in these photos) or as a scarf.

They offer a great pop of color

I love adding a pop of color with a multi-colored plaid blanket scarf like this one. Having a blanket scarf really ties this look together. Adding pops of red or even pink are easy with the right kind of scarf to accessorize with,

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I am going to keep this short, sweet and to the point: Go out and vote on November 6th. Your voice matters! We have influence in our lives – big or small. Let it be heard at the polls. It’s time to rise up and be heard!